Activity 1: The Age of Jefferson

Day 1: Jefferson's Presidency* Students will learn that after America was created, it began to grow larger but not always grow together - Sectionalism* Students will review the map on pages 308-309 of the America book and discuss any trends or connections * Students will read pages 310-312* Students will take notes on the PowerPoint listed above as "Jefferson Takes Office"

Day 2: Research and Timeline* Students will do independent research to compare the presidencies of either George Washington or John Adams toThomas Jefferson (bring devices)* Students will create their own graphic organizer or chart to show the similarities and/or differences* Students will copy the chart on page 312 of the America book* Students will answer questions 1 and 2 on page 313

Activity 2: The Louisiana Purchase

​Day 3: The Louisiana Purchase​* Students will learn how the Louisiana Purchase was obtained* Students will view the map on page 316 of the America book and copy it into their notebooks (crayons or coloring pencils needed)* Students will read pages 314-317 in the America book

Day 4: Google Earth and Notes* Students will take notes on the PowerPoint listed above as "The Louisiana Purchase"* Students will use Google Earth and Images to explore and map the expeditions of Lewis & Clark and/or Zebulon Pike (bring devices)

Activity 3: The War of 1812

​Day 6: The War of 1812* Students will define the terms "Impressment" and "War Hawk"* Students will read page 323 "American Neutrality" and pages 327-331 in the America book* Students will take notes on the PowerPoint listed above as "The War of 1812"

​​Day 7: The Star Spangled Banner & Crash Course On History* Students will do independent research on the events surrounding Fort McHenry and "The Star Spangled Banner" (being devices)* Students will watch the video * Students will create a mock 10 question short answer exam (with answers) as a quiz grade

​Activity 4: Manifest Destiny

​Day 8: Manifest Destiny* Students will analyze the primary document "American Progress" by John Gant​* Students will discuss where they believe the next great push to new lands will occur and why* Students will do independent research on NASA to tie into Manifest Destiny (bring device)

The tensions that caused the War of 1812 arose from the French Revolution and American Revolution(1792–1815). During this nearly constant conflict between France and Britain, American interests were injured by each of the two countries' endeavours to block the United States from trading with the other.​Click here for notes​

Manifest Destiny

One of the most influential slogans ever coined, "manifest destiny" expressed the romantic emotion that led Americans to risk their lives to settle the Far West. ​ Click here for notes

The Antebellum South

In the decades before the Civil War, North Carolina shed its “Rip Van Winkle” reputation. Better transportation, including new railroads, helped the growth of agriculture and the first stirrings of industry. Society and culture flourished. But the state’s economy and society were now based firmly on slavery.Click here for Yeoman WorksheetClick here for your notes ​

The Trail of Tears

The caravan was ready to move out. The wagons were lined up. The mood was somber. One who was there reported that "there was a silence and stillness of the voice that betrayed the sadness of the heart."Click here for map

​Journey WestWhat motivated thousands of people to journey west during the 1800s? Was it the prospect of land ownership advertised on a broadside tacked to a tree that convinced a family to pack up all their belongings and travel across a continent in search of a better life? Or was it a letter from a friend announcing their good fortune of striking gold in California

Thomas Jefferson & SlaveryStudents will read excerpts from the Declaration of Independence as well as excerpts from Notes on the State of Virginia in order to determine whether Jefferson's views on liberty conflicted with his views on slavery.

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​The Southern Commitment to SlaveryThe purpose of this lesson is to get students thinking about why some people in history made decisions that are widely or wholly looked down upon today. In this case, we want students to understand what drove Southerners to fuel the growth of slavery in a way where they were able to dismiss the negative impacts their actions had on the slaves themselves.​

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​Lewis and ClarkStudents will recognize the territory acquired by the Louisiana Purchase, explore the path taken by Lewis and Clark-and landmarks they would have seen-as they journeyed west, and demonstrate what you've learned by creating a map that outlines the Louisiana Purchase territory and indicates the route taken by Lewis and Clark.

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Westward ExpansionStudents use documents from California As I Saw It: First Person Narratives, 1849-1900, in American Memory to create a script depicting the motivations, expectations, fears, and realizations of immigrants who settled California between 1849 and 1900. The finished product will be a script containing links to illustrative written materials, images, and sound files from the Library of Congress online collections.​

​​Jackson and the Nullification CrisisStudents will activate and build knowledge about states' rights, regional debates over tariffs and slavery, the Tariff Treaties of 1824 and 1828, and the 1832 Nullification Crisis, analyze relevant primary-source documents, maps, and images to reinforce understanding, and demonstrate an understanding of the Nullification Crisis and Jackson's response to it.

​Andrew Jackson & ​The Indian Removal ActStudents will be asked to "read like a detective" and discover what Andrew Jackson was writing about by knowing what is explicitly stated, drawing logical inferences, and demonstrating these skills by writing a succinct summary and then restating that summary in the student's own words.

​​Reform MovementsStudents will research the reform movements that occurred in the United States from 1820 to 1860 and assume the voice of a fictional American reformer and write journal entries on important historical events of the period.

​SectionalismStudents will identify and examine reasons why the North and South were developing so differently and how this led to a split in the country that led to war.

​Three Routes to the Gold RushStudents will learn about the 1849 Gold Rush and the routes gold seekers took to California, examine the risks associated with each route, and demonstrate what you've learned by creating a labeled map that illustrates this information.

​The Native American Reeducation MovementStudents will research the government's attempt to assimilate Native Americans through education programs at the turn of the 20th century and the impact of this movement on Native American children and culture.

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​The Great Plains Indian WarsStudents will research information on one or more of the Indian Wars, record the location and dates of each conflict on one map, and evaluate and compare interpretations of the historical impact of the Great Plains Indian wars.

The Indian Removal ActStudents will activate and build background knowledge about the early relations between the government and Native Americans, the attempts at assimilation by the Cherokees, and the rise of Andrew Jackson, analyze the relevant primary-source documents and identify arguments with varying points of view, and evaluate the arguments for and against congressional approval of the Indian Removal Act

The Mexican American WarStudents will activate and build background knowledge about the growing tensions between the United States and Mexico in the early 1800s and the reasons for President Polk's declaration of war in 1846, analyze the relevant primary-source documents and identify arguments with varying points of view, and evaluate the arguments for and against the Mexican American War and determine whether it was justified.

​Encountering Lewis & ClarkStudents will investigate encounters between Native Americans and the Lewis and Clark expedition and analyze how these encounters might influence future relations between white traders, hunters, and settlers and the Native American tribes.